Ready-to-eat cereal containing psyllium

ABSTRACT

A ready-to-eat cereal product contains a substantial portion of typical cereal grain component, such as bran, wheat and the like, together with a therapeutic quantity of psyllium. The quantity of psyllium is sufficient to reduce the cholesterol level of humans and animals when part of the diet. The psyllium may be added as an intermediate psyllium product prepared by directly expanding psyllium husks, either by itself or together with minor amounts of other ingredients. The psyllium intermediate is preferably added during the process for making the final cereal product after the typical cereal grain components have been totally or partially cooked.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 07/412,825 filed on Sep. 27, 1989.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a novel ready-to-eat cereal food product containing a therapeutic quantity of psyllium and to a process for producing same. In addition, the invention involves a novel extruded psyllium product particularly useful as an intermediate in the production of ready-to-eat psyllium-containing cereals and other foodstuffs.

BACKGROUND ART

Psyllium is a known mucilaginous material which has found extensive use in bulk laxatives. The source of psyllium is the seeds from the plants of the Plantago genus, which grows in certain sub-tropical regions. The seeds are dark brown, smooth, boat-shaped and shiny. Since it is believed by those skilled in the art that the active ingredient of psyllium is the psyllium seed gum, which is located primarily in the seed husk, present technology uses the ground seed husk as the source for psyllium. However, the whole seed is also known as a psyllium source, as well as the dehusked psyllium seed.

Due to the mucilaginous nature of psyllium, however, psyllium acquires a slimy or adhesive texture and mouthfeel upon hydration. This slimy mouthfeel is unpalatable and, accordingly, various additives have been incorporated in psyllium-containing ingestible compositions in order to mask the undesirable texture and mouthfeel of the psyllium. In addition, psyllium develops a distinctive, undesirable flavor in the presence of heat and moisture which further limits its use in food products.

Notwithstanding the undesirable flavor and texture imparted to an ingestible composition by psyllium or psyllium husks, various psyllium-containing foodstuffs have been proposed which purport to take advantage of the natural digestion regulation properties of psyllium, or the satiating or "fullness-feeling" effect of psyllium. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,574,634 and 4,348,379.

In addition, it has been suggested, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,114, that whole psyllium husks, such as the ground husks of the seed of Plantago psyllium, lowers blood cholesterol upon oral administration thereof. Further, it has also long been known to use small quantities of psyllium, such as less than 1%, as a thickener in foodstuffs such as in ice cream, puddings and the like.

Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,222 discloses a medicament composition for reducing blood cholesterol levels in humans and lower animals which comprises a mixture of psyllium seed gum, or source of psyllium seed gum, and a nonabsorbable, nondigestible polyol polyester.

However, as set forth above, the mucilaginous nature of psyllium husks presents grave processing difficulties, and prior attempts to produce a palatable, ready-to-eat food product containing psyllium have not resulted in a satisfactory product to date, particularly, with respect to flavor and texture or mouthfeel.

It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a ready-to-eat breakfast cereal containing a significant quantity of psyllium which has good textural and flavor characteristics, particularly mouthfeel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal which avoids the organoleptic drawbacks previously associated with all psyllium-containing foodstuffs.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a psyllium-containing cereal which is effective in reducing serum and/or liver cholesterol levels in animals and humans.

In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cereal product in which all the healthful characteristics associated with ingesting raw psyllium are retained with the final product exhibiting good organoleptic qualities.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an extruded psyllium-containing product useful as an intermediate or additive in a process for producing a psyllium-containing food product.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an economic process for producing a psyllium-containing cereal having good textural and flavor characteristics, which utilizes standard type equipment employed in the ready-to-eat cereal making art.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and examples thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel breakfast cereal which contains a quantity of psyllium sufficient to provide a hypocholesterolemic effect if ingested by humans and lower animals (hereinafter generically "animals"). The source for the psyllium in the present invention can be psyllium seed husk, whole psyllium seed or dehusked psyllium seed. When so ingested, the psyllium-containing cereal effectively reduces the animal serum and/or liver cholesterol levels. In addition, other therapeutic benefits from psyllium can be achieved by such cereal product, including lowered glycemic index and laxative effectiveness.

The psyllium concentration in the finished cereal product should be at least 2% by dry weight basis and probably no more than 25-30% by dry weight basis. Preferably, the psyllium concentration should be 6-19%, and about 11-14% appears most desirable. All of the weight percentages set forth herein are on a dry basis, whether or not so stated. It has been found that a ready-to-eat cereal containing psyllium within these ranges can be made which has good flavor and textural characteristics and does not exhibit the slimy mouthfeel typical of prior psyllium-containing ingestible compositions.

The psyllium-containing cereal of the present invention can take the form of any conventional ready-to-eat cereal, such as flakes, biscuits and other shred products, puffed products, morsels, and other conventional cereal piece shapes.

The present invention also involves a novel process for producing the psyllium-containing cereal. Psyllium develops flavor in the presence of heat and moisture like cereal grains. The flavor developed through conventional processing of psyllium, however, is not acceptable in a food product. Further, psyllium contains a gum. Gums develop a slimy texture on hydration which occurs during conventional cereal processing. Accordingly, product formulations and processing procedures are designed to develop the flavors and texture attributes found in other cereal products, while avoiding or minimizing the undesirable flavor and textural characteristics of processed psyllium.

Therefore, according to a preferred form of the present invention, a novel psyllium-containing intermediate product or additive is produced, which can then be added to typical bulk cereal starting material or materials after the starting material has been totally or partially cooked. The psyllium intermediate and the cooked cereal product or products are then processed into the finished psyllium-containing cereal of the present invention. This novel psyllium-containing intermediate product is preferably formed by directly expanding psyllium husks into nuggets with or without other minor ingredients such as used in the cereal art, including oat bran, wheat bran, any starch source (like rice flour and corn flour), sucrose, soy fiber, pectin, salt and other flavoring ingredients. The quantity of psyllium in the nugget intermediate product should preferably be at least 75%, but can be substantially lower depending upon the proportion of intermediate product which is to be added and the type of cooked cereal used.

When the novel psyllium nuggets are physically blended with a cooked bulk cereal ingredient, and then the resultant blended mixture is formed into shaped cereal pieces, a high degree of cholesterol reduction is achieved by ingesting the cereal product. A wide variety of bulk cereal ingredients can be combined with the intermediate psyllium nuggets in accordance with the present invention. These cereal ingredients include whole grains such as whole wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn and rye, grain components such as wheat germ and brans including oat bran, wheat bran, etc., flours such as wheat flour, corn flour, etc., legumes such as soybeans, peas, beans and the like, and non-bran fiber sources such as prune fiber, guar, beet fiber, and citrus pulp, and other novel raw material ingredients.

In addition, it is believed that similar hypocholesterolemic effectiveness can be achieved for other foodstuffs, without the organoleptic disadvantages associated with psyllium, by preparing such foodstuffs with a sufficient quantity of the intermediate psyllium nugget product of the present invention. Such foodstuffs can include non-cereal products such as cookies, cereal bars, waffles and the like, dried fruit pieces and fruit fillings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are graphs depicting weekly food efficiency ratios (FIG. 1), weekly food intake (FIG. 2) and weekly body gain (FIG. 3) with respect to hamsters fed controlled diets to demonstrate the method for lowering blood cholesterol of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The ready-to-eat psyllium-containing cereal of the present invention may be produced in one of many ways, depending upon the desired final shape of the ready-to-eat cereal pieces and the production steps and equipment to be used. For example, the production of biscuits, morsels, puffed products, and flakes all require different process steps and equipment.

A psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal in the form of extruded morsels can be produced as follows. The starting bulk ingredients are blended together with a psyllium starting material. An appropriate psyllium starting material is sterilized raw psyllium husks. Sterilization of psyllium husks can be accomplished by known sterilization procedures. A small amount of citric acid, on the order of 1.5% by weight, may be used as an additive to the sterilized psyllium.

Typical bulk starting ingredients for the extruded morsel product are set forth in Table 1 below.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                                       % Finished Product                                               Ingredient    Dry Basis Wt.                                                    ______________________________________                                         Wheat bran    25-75                                                            Sugar         5-30                                                             Psyllium husks                                                                               2-30                                                             Corn bran     0-15                                                             ______________________________________                                    

Other known bulk cereal ingredients can be substituted for the wheat bran and corn bran specified. The other ingredients include whole grains such as whole wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn and rye, grain components such as wheat germ and brans including oat bran, wheat bran, etc., flours such as wheat flour, corn flour, etc., legumes such as soybeans, peas, beans and the like, and non-bran fiber sources such as prune fiber, guar, beet fiber, and citrus pulp, and other novel raw material ingredients. The psyllium component is preferably in the range of about 6-19% and most preferably 11-14%.

The mixed bulk ingredients are conveyed to an extruder as a blended mixture where the mixture is cooked and then extruded into shaped pieces having the desired final morsel shape of the cereal product. The extruded shaped pieces are conveyed to and through a drier and then conveyed through cooling equipment and finally packaged as a finished product. During this processing, additional minor ingredients and fortifying additives are added in a conventional manner. Those flavor ingredients and fortifying additives can be varied depending upon the desired characteristics of the final cereal product and are well known in the art. With the exception of adding the psyllium husks to the bulk starting ingredients, the procedures for making psyllium-containing morsels follow conventional cereal bran processing techniques.

The preferred psyllium-containing ready-to-eat bran cereal in the form of extruded morsels, in accordance with the present invention, exhibits good color, flavor, appearance and texture without the typically undesirable flavor and mouthfeel of psyllium. In taste panel testing, the psyllium-containing morsels cereal product of the present invention was rated acceptable.

In an alternate and preferred form of the present invention, the psyllium starting material is first separately processed into an intermediate product which can be added to cereal grain or grains after cooking. By separately processing the psyllium into an intermediate product and then adding that product to the bulk cereal grain ingredient or ingredients after cooking or partial cooking, the unpleasant taste, texture and mouthfeel characteristics of psyllium are suppressed while the desired healthful characteristics of the psyllium are still retained in the final cereal product.

This intermediate psyllium-containing product can be produced as follows. Sterilized psyllium husks, which may or may not have been treated with citric acid in a known amount, e.g., about 1.5% by weight, are mixed and blended with oat bran, rice flour and sucrose. Preferably, these ingredients are mixed in the amounts set forth in Table 2 below.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                                     % finished product                                                             dry basis wt.                                                      ______________________________________                                         Psyllium husks                                                                                 50-100%                                                        Oat bran      0-50                                                             Sucrose       0-25                                                             Rice flour    0-25                                                             ______________________________________                                    

The type and quantity of the other ingredients which can be combined with psyllium in formulating the intermediate product can be varied greatly. Examples of other ingredients include wheat bran, other starch sources such as corn flour, soy fiber, pectin, salt and other flavoring ingredients. An especially preferred mixture is 75% by dry weight psyllium husks with citric acid, 15% dry weight oat bran, 5% by dry weight sucrose, and 5% by dry weight rice flour.

The blended mixture is introduced into a food extruder where the mixture is directly expanded to produce an extruded nugget product. The extruded nuggets are then cooled and subsequently dried to a moisture content of less than 12% by weight. Preferably, the cooled extruded product is dried to a moisture content of approximately 2-8% by weight, and most desirably to about 3-5% by weight.

The preferred psyllium-containing intermediate nugget product of the present invention has a dull, opaque beige cast over a dull medium brown base color. The nuggets have a dense, very hard, glassy, and brittle texture, in a round to slightly oval shape, generally about the size of a bebe, approximately 1/8-1/4 inch in diameter. The nuggets have a rough, irregular surface with some air pockets, located either in the interior or broken open on the surface. The nuggets exhibit a strong, characteristic psyllium odor and flavor.

Psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal flakes can be produced using the intermediate nuggets in accordance with the following procedure. The bulk ingredient of the cereal, for example, wheat bran or a mixture of wheat bran and oat bran, is cooked in a standard rotary cooker. The intermediate psyllium-containing product, produced as described above, is then added to the cooked bran, and the resultant mixture is blended.

A typical blend of the resultant mixture is set forth below in Table 3.

                  TABLE 3                                                          ______________________________________                                                        % finished product                                                             dry basis wt.                                                   ______________________________________                                         Wheat bran        25-75%                                                       Oat bran         5-30                                                          Nuggets (75% psyllium)                                                                          3-40                                                          Sugar            5-30                                                          ______________________________________                                    

Other proportions and types of bulk cereal ingredients known to the art in the manufacture of cereal flakes can be used in formulating the resultant mixture with the psyllium-containing nuggets. The proportion of wheat bran and oat bran components can be varied widely and known cereal flake ingredients can be readily substituted. For example, standard cereal ingredients may be substituted including whole grains such as whole wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn and rye, grain components such as wheat germ and brans including oat bran, wheat bran, etc., flours such as wheat flour, corn flour, etc., legumes such as soybeans, peas, beans and the like, and non-bran fiber sources such as prune fiber, guar, beet fiber, and citrus pulp, and other novel raw material ingredients.

Preferably, 10-20% by dry weight of the blended mixture is the intermediate nuggets, containing at least 75% by dry weight psyllium. More or less can be used depending upon the concentration of psyllium in the intermediate product and the desired psyllium concentration for the final product. It has been found that a desirable addition of the psyllium nuggets is on the order of 15-16% by dry weight, if the psyllium concentration of the nuggets is the preferred 75%.

Following blending, the mixture is pelletized, dried and tempered under conditions which do not lead to the development of undesirable psyllium flavor or texture. The pellets are then flaked, toasted and passed to a coating zone to produce a psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal in the form of flakes. The steps of this process, after the addition and blending of the psyllium nuggets with the cooked bran ingredients, follow conventional cereal-making techniques.

A particularly preferred psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal is bran flakes with psyllium, having the composition by weight shown in Table 4 below.

                  TABLE 4                                                          ______________________________________                                                              % Dry basis wt.                                           ______________________________________                                         Bulk ingredients                                                               Heavy wheat bran       50.41                                                   Oat bran               12.20                                                   Sugar                  8.13                                                    Beet fiber             2.44                                                    Prune powder           2.42                                                    Rice flour             2.11                                                    42% HFCS (High fructose corn syrup)                                                                   1.63                                                    Salt                   0.89                                                    Barley malt syrup      081                                                     Guar Gum               0.09                                                    Calcium carbonate      0.08                                                    Trisodium phosphate    0.05                                                    Carmel color           0.04                                                    Psyllium-containing additive @ 15.5%:                                          75% Psyllium           11.63                                                   15% Oat bran           2.33                                                    5% Sucrose             0.78                                                    5% Rice flour          0.78                                                    Coating @ 3.2%:                                                                Sucrose                2.00                                                    Honey                  1.00                                                    Salt                   0.20                                                                           100.02                                                  ______________________________________                                    

The above bran flakes exhibit the good color, flavor, appearance and texture typical of similar bran flakes made without the addition of the psyllium nuggets, and the flakes exhibit none of the undesirable flavor and mouthfeel characteristics of psyllium. In taste panel testing of the psyllium-containing bran flakes of Table 4, the cereal product of the present invention was rated acceptable.

The invention is further illustrated but not limited by the following examples.

EXAMPLE 1

A psyllium containing-ready-to-eat cereal in the form of extruded morsels was produced having a final composition on a dry weight basis as set forth in Table 5 below.

                  TABLE 5                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ingredient           Percent Dry Basis                                         ______________________________________                                         Wheat Bran           49.9                                                      Sugar                23.1                                                      Psyllium Husk no Citric Acid                                                                        13.0                                                      Corn Bran            8.9                                                       High Fructose Corn Syrup [HFCS]                                                                     3.1                                                       Salt                 1.6                                                       Sodium Bicarbonate   0.25000                                                   Vitamin C            0.05959                                                   Vitamin A & D conc. with BHT                                                                        0.02273                                                   Annatto              0.02000                                                   Vitamin B3           0.01818                                                   Zinc Oxide           0.01705                                                   Iron                 0.01636                                                   Vitamin B6           0.00233                                                   Vitamin B2           0.00155                                                   Vitamin B1           0.00136                                                   Folic Acid           0.00036                                                                        100.00951                                                 ______________________________________                                    

The extruded morsels were prepared in the following fashion. All of the ingredients except HFCS, Vitamins A & D and Vitamin C were first mixed. The mixture was then cooked and extruded into pieces, while HFCS was injected into the ingredients mixture. The food exit temperature was 350°-400° F., and the moisture content after cooling was 5%. The extruded pieces were then toasted and vitamins A & D and vitamin C were sprayed thereon. The product finished with a food moisture of 3%. In taste panel testing, the product was rated acceptable.

EXAMPLE 2

Psyllium-containing intermediate nuggets were prepared having a final composition on a dry weight basis as set forth in Table 6 below.

                  TABLE 6                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ingredient            Percent Dry Basis                                        ______________________________________                                         Psyllium Husks with 1.5% Citric Acid                                                                 75.0                                                     Oat Bran              15.0                                                     Rice Flour            5.0                                                      Sucrose               5.0                                                                            100.0                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The psyllium husks had been sterilized by extrusion. All of the ingredients were first mixed and then directly expanded using an extruder. The product exit temperature from the extruder was 190° F. and the moisture content after cooling was 31%. The product was then dried for 30 minutes at 210° F. to a moisture content of 3%.

EXAMPLE 3

The bran flake ready-to-eat cereal set forth in Table 4 was prepared in the following manner. The bulk dry ingredients were first mixed and then the flavoring ingredients sugar, salt, color, HFCS, and malt syrup, which had previously been diluted with warm water, were added in a rotating cooker. The bulk ingredients were then cooked for 65 minutes at 17 psi. Thereafter, the psyllium-containing intermediate nuggets having the composition set forth in Table 4, and prepared in accordance with the procedure described in Example 2, were blended with the bran cook in a mixer. The blended mixture was then milled with a Fitz mill and pelletized, and the pellets dried to a moisture content of 20%. The product was then tempered hot for 30 minutes, flaked and toasted at 370° F. The finished flakes had a food moisture content of 3%. The product had a crispy texture, desirable appearance and acceptable flavor.

EXAMPLE 4

Another bran flake ready-to-eat cereal enriched with psyllium was prepared having a final composition on a dry weight basis as set forth in Table 7 below.

                  TABLE 7                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ingredients           Percent Dry Basis                                        ______________________________________                                         Bran Cook at 80.15%:                                                           Whole Wheat, Chopped  44.71                                                    Oat Bran              11.98                                                    Sugar                 8.27                                                     Wheat Bran            7.19                                                     Prune Powder          2.33                                                     Rice Flour            2.08                                                     High Fructose Corn Syrup                                                                             1.60                                                     Salt                  0.88                                                     Barley Malt Syrup     0.80                                                     Guar Gum              0.09                                                     Calcium Carbonate     0.08                                                     Trisodium Phosphate   0.05                                                     Caramel Color         0.04                                                     Vitamin B3            0.01828                                                  Iron, Reduced         0.01645                                                  Zinc Oxide            0.00685                                                  Vitamin B2            0.00155                                                  Folic Acid            0.00037                                                  Psyllium Nuggets at 16.65%:                                                    75% Psyllium Husk with 1.5% Citric Acid                                                              12.50                                                    15% Oat Bran          2.50                                                      5% Sucrose           0.82                                                      5% Rice Flour        0.82                                                     <0.1% Annatto Color   0.0083                                                   Coating at 3.2%:                                                               Sucrose               3.00                                                     Salt                  0.20                                                     Vitamin Spray:                                                                 Vitamin A & D conc., 3% BHT                                                                          0.02285                                                  Vitamin B6            0.00234                                                  Vitamin B1            0.00137                                                  Vitamin B12           0.00055                                                                        100                                                      ______________________________________                                    

The bulk bran cook dry ingredients were first mixed. The flavoring ingredients comprising sugar, salt, color, HFCS and malt syrup (previously diluted with warm water) were then added to and mixed with the bulk ingredients in a rotating cooker. The bulk ingredients were cooked for 65 minutes at 17 psi, cooled and screen separated. Thereafter, psyllium-containing intermediate nuggets having a composition as set forth in Table 7 above, and prepared in accordance with the procedure described in Example 2, were blended with the bran, and the mixture cooked to completion in a mixer. The mixture was then milled, pelletized, and the pellets dried to a moisture content of about 20%. The product was tempered hot for 30 minutes, flaked and toasted at 370° F. The flakes were then sprayed with the coating composition together with Vitamins A & D, B6, B12 and B1. The finished flakes had a food moisture content of about 3%. The product had a crispy texture, desirable appearance and acceptable flavor.

EXAMPLE 5

A psyllium-containing ready-to-eat bran cereal in the form of biscuits was prepared having a final composition on a dry weight basis as set forth in Table 8 below.

                  TABLE 8                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ingredient        Percent Dry Basis                                            ______________________________________                                         Heavy Bran, Wheat 62.3                                                         Light Bran, Wheat 26.2                                                         Sucrose           3.9                                                          High Fructose Corn Syrup                                                                         2.4                                                          Psyllium Seed Husk                                                                               2.0                                                          Salt              1.7                                                          Malt Syrup        1.5                                                          Iron              0.02946                                                      Zinc Oxide        0.03068                                                      Vitamin B3        0.01818                                                      Vitamin B2        0.00155                                                      Folic Acid        0.00036                                                                        100.08023                                                    ______________________________________                                    

The sucrose, HFCS, salt, malt syrup, vitamins and minerals were mixed with water to make flavor and deliver a 29% moisture content to the cooker. The flavor ingredients were then mixed with the heavy bran and tempered for 15 minutes. The light bran and psyllium seed husks were then added and the mixture cooked. The cooked product was cooled, separated and dried briefly, after which it was tempered warm for 30 minutes. The product was then shredded into biscuit shapes and toasted in a conventional oven. The resultant product was a biscuit shaped ready-to-eat cereal having an acceptable flavor, texture and appearance.

EXAMPLE 6

Another psyllium-containing intermediate nugget product was prepared having a final composition on a dry weight basis set forth in Table 9 below.

                  TABLE 9                                                          ______________________________________                                         Ingredient      Percent Dry Basis                                              ______________________________________                                         Psyllium Seed Husk                                                                             50.0                                                           Wheat Bran      30.0                                                           Sucrose         10.0                                                           Rice Flour      10.0                                                                           100.0                                                          ______________________________________                                    

All of the ingredients were mixed and then directly expanded using an extruder. The product was dried for 30 minutes at 200° F. to a 3% moisture content.

EXAMPLE 7

Yet another psyllium-containing intermediate nugget product was prepared having a final composition on a dry weight basis set forth in Table 10 below.

                  TABLE 10                                                         ______________________________________                                         Ingredient      Percent Dry Basis                                              ______________________________________                                         Psyllium Seed Husk                                                                             75.0                                                           Wheat Bran      15.0                                                           Sucrose         5.0                                                            Rice Flour      5.0                                                                            100.0                                                          ______________________________________                                    

The ingredients were mixed and directly expanded using an extruder. The flour mix was added at the rate of 1.8 lbs per minute together with water at the rate of 0.6 lbs per minute. The die pressure was 1300 lbs/square inch and the temperature of zone 1 was 127° F. and zone 2, 260° F. The extruded product was then dried for 30 minutes at 200° F. to 3% moisture content.

EXAMPLE 8

A psyllium-containing bran flake ready-to-eat cereal was prepared using cooked bran bulk ingredients from standard Kellogg 40% bran flake formula and process. The cooked bran bulk ingredients were mixed with psyllium nuggets of Example 6 in the proportion of 76% cooked bulk bran ingredients and 24% psyllium nuggets, by dry weight basis. The ingredients were mixed for 3 minutes after which they were pelletized and dried for 5 minutes at 200° F. The product was tempered hot for 60 minutes, flaked and then toasted.

EXAMPLE 9

A wheat biscuit ready-to-eat cereal enriched with psyllium was prepared in the following manner. Seventy-one parts by dry weight soft white winter wheat was cooked and then chopped. The chopped wheat was mixed thoroughly with 24 parts by dry weight psyllium nuggets prepared in accordance with Example 6. Water was added to adjust the mixture to a moisture content of about 40%. The mixture was then tempered for 30 minutes, and processed through a shred mill. Five parts by dry weight brown sugar were added to the shreds, which were then cut into a biscuit shape, and toasted. The product processed well and was deemed acceptable for flavor, appearance and color, and especially liked for texture.

EXAMPLE 10

Cinnamon cookies enriched using a psyllium containing intermediate nugget product were prepared using the ingredients set forth in Table 11 below, with each composition on an as is percent basis.

                  TABLE 11                                                         ______________________________________                                         Ingredients       Percent As Is                                                ______________________________________                                         Cinnamon          1.5                                                          Shortening        13.0                                                         Lecithin          0.2                                                          Vanilla Extract, 2X                                                                              0.4                                                          Salt              0.3                                                          Baking Soda       0.25                                                         Baking Powder     0.1                                                          Ammonium Bicarbonate                                                                             0.25                                                         Sugar             18.0                                                         Psyllium Nuggets  22.0                                                         Almonds, Diced    10.0                                                         Wheat Flour       25.0                                                         Water             9.0                                                                            100.0                                                        ______________________________________                                    

The psyllium nuggets were prepared in accordance with Example 6 above except the psyllium seed husks contained no citric acid. The cinnamon, shortening and lecithin were mixed first for two minutes at high speed in a dough mixer. All the remaining ingredients (except water) were then added and mixed for two minutes at low speed. The psyllium nuggets were prepared in accordance with Example 6. The water was then added and the product mixed two more minute at low speed. The dough was then separated into cookies and baked at 340° F. for about 111/2 minutes. The product had a desirable crispy texture, good flavor and satisfactory appearance.

EXAMPLE 11

Another psyllium-containing bran flake ready-to-eat cereal was prepared using cooked bran ingredients from standard Kellogg 40% bran flake formula and process. Eighty parts by dry weight of the cooked bran bulk ingredients were mixed with 20 parts by dry weight psyllium seed husks for one minute. Water was added to adjust the moisture content up to 32.2% and the mixing continued for an additional two minutes. The mixture was pelletized, dried for six minutes at 200° F., and tempered hot for one hour. The tempered product was then separated, flaked and toasted.

EXAMPLE 12

A ready-to-eat rice flaked cereal containing psyllium was prepared in the following manner. Seventy parts by dry basis weight cooked rice, prepared in a conventional manner, was dried to a moisture content of about 12%. Twenty parts by dry weight psyllium seed husk and 10 parts by dry weight sucrose were separately mixed together. Thereafter, the cooked rice was added to the mixed ingredients and thoroughly mixed with water added to a moisture content of about 24%. The mixture was then extruded and cut into pellets, which were then dried and cooled. The pellets were then flaked and dried in a conventional manner, then toasted.

The following tests demonstrate the hypocholesterolemic effect of the intermediate psyllium-containing product per se and the hypocholesterolemic effect of psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereals of the present invention.

EXAMPLE 13

A psyllium-containing cereal of the present invention was compared with cellulose and wheat bran controls to determine the hypocholesterolemic effect of the psyllium-containing cereal. The psyllium-containing cereal was psyllium bran flakes having the composition, and having been prepared in accordance with the procedures, described in Example 11. The cellulose and the wheat bran control diets were prepared exactly in the manner of the psyllium bran flakes diet.

Golden Syrian hamsters were divided into three groups, each group having a total of 14 hamsters, all male. All of the hamsters were fed an acclimatization diet procedure as follows: (1) Purina chow for 2 days, (2) a 50/50 mixture of Purina chow and wheat bran diet for 3 days, (3) a 25/75 mixture of Purina chow and wheat bran diet for 3 days. Afterwards, they were assigned according to their body weights to one of the treatments by a randomized block design. One group was fed the cellulose-based diet, another group was fed the wheat bran-based diet, and the final group was fed a diet based on the psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal of Example 11. The compositions of the three diets were as shown in Table 12, with all amounts expressed as parts by weight. All diets had at least 5% safflower oil to ensure sufficient supply of essential fatty acids. Levels of all nutrients were balanced for all diets. The same nutrient/energy ratio was maintained for each nutrient in all diets. To compensate for the vitamins and minerals in Bran Flakes, additional vitamins and minerals as indicated in Table 12 were incorporated into the diets.

                  TABLE 12                                                         ______________________________________                                                                      Diet 3                                                      Diet 1  Diet 2     Psyllium-                                                   Cellulose                                                                              Wheat Bran.sup.1                                                                          Bran Flakes.sup.2                                 ______________________________________                                         Test material                                                                              0         25.4       33.1                                          Casein (89%)                                                                               22.4      17.62      18.38                                         DL-methionine                                                                              0.2       0.15       0.15                                          L-lysine    0         0.1        0.1                                           Beef tallow 7         7          7                                             Safflower oil                                                                              5         3.65       4.54                                          Coconut oil 2         2          2                                             Starch      32.08     26.85      18.84                                         Sugar       15        15         11.36                                         Cellulose.sup.3                                                                            10        0          0                                             AIN-76 vitamin mix                                                                         1.2       1.2        1.2                                           AIN mineral mix                                                                            4         4          4                                             (NaCl free)                                                                    TD 86126                                                                       Choline chloride                                                                           0.5       0.5        0.5                                           Cholesterol 0.125     0.125      0.125                                         NaCl        0.5       0.5        0                                             Total parts 100.01    104.10     101.30                                        Additives.sup.4                                                                (mg):                                                                          Riboflavin  0.4       0.3        0                                             Niacin      6.8       0          2.2                                           Folic acid  0.1       0.1        0                                             Fe citrate  12.4      0          2.9                                           (16-17% Fe)                                                                    ZnCO.sub.3 (70% ZnO)                                                                       6.7       3.1        0                                             K-citrate-H.sub.2 O                                                                        2565.4    0          1565.0                                        (K.sub.3 C.sub.6 H.sub.5 O.sub.7 H.sub.2 O)                                    K.sub.2 SO.sub.4                                                                           202.0     0          123.2                                         ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 Wheat bran has the composition shown in Table 13 below.                 .sup.2 Psylliumbran flakes has the composition shown in Table 13 below.        .sup.3 The cellulose was Solka Floc having a particle size less than 0.35      microns.                                                                       .sup.4 The actual amounts of elemental mineral added were: Cellulose  2.1      mg Fe, 3.5 mg Zn and 400.0 mg K; Wheat bran  1.6 mg Zn; and Psylliumbran       flakes  0.5 mg Fe and 244.0 mg K.                                        

                  TABLE 13                                                         ______________________________________                                         Composition per 100 g                                                                      Wheat bran                                                                             Psyllium-                                                              (AACC)  Bran Flakes                                                ______________________________________                                         Water, g      9.54      2.65                                                   Ash, g        6.10      3.80                                                   Fat, g        5.33      1.40                                                   Protein, g    16.99     11.95                                                  TDF.sup.1, g  39.4      30.2                                                   NDF.sup.2, g            14.3                                                   Sugars, g               11.0                                                   Starch.sup.3, g                                                                              20.6      40.0                                                   Sodium, mg    16.0      604.0                                                  ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 Total Dietary Fiber                                                     .sup.2 Neutraldetergent Fiber                                                  .sup.3 Calculated by difference                                          

Three-week food efficiency ratios, food intakes, and total body weight gains of the 3 groups of hamsters were not different. For those animals assigned to diets other than the wheat bran control (diets 1 and 3), the switch from the acclimatization-diet to the experimental diet required some adaptation to the change in the texture and taste of the diet. Those assigned to the psyllium-BF based diet (diet 3) were likely to have experienced a greater change in food intake (see FIG. 2), reflected in body weight gain (FIG. 3) and feed efficiency ratio (FIG. 1) than those assigned to the cellulose control diet (diet 1) because of the significant difference in texture and taste of the cereal prototype from cellulose and wheat bran. This is reflected in the lower weight gains and food intakes of animals fed diets 1 and 3; and more so for diet 3 fed animals initially at the first week. At the beginning of the second week Diets 1 and 3 fed animals had caught up in food intake and weight gain with animals fed the control wheat bran diet. The weekly feed efficiency, food intake, and body weight gain data are shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 below.

Serum lipid levels of the three groups of hamsters were measured after 3 weeks of being fed the cellulose, wheat bran or psyllium-bran flakes diet. The results are shown in Table 14 below.

                  TABLE 14                                                         ______________________________________                                         Serum lipid levels (mean +/- SD                                                        DIET                                                                                                Psyllium-                                                 Cellulose Wheat Bran Bran Flakes                                       ______________________________________                                         TG.sup.1, mg/dl                                                                          154 +/- 60  153 +/- 71 114 +/- 41                                    TC.sup.2, mg/dl                                                                          240 +/- 22  236 +/- 18 133 +/- 17                                    HDLC.sup.3, mg/dl                                                                        171 +/- 17  159 +/- 17  91 +/- 11                                    HDLC/TC, %                                                                               71 +/- 5    68 +/- 8   70 +/- 7                                      ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 Triglycerides                                                           .sup.2 Total cholesterol                                                       .sup.3 High density lipoprotein cholesterol                              

These results shown in Table 14 demonstrate the dramatic hypocholesterolemic effect achieved by a diet containing the psyllium-containing cereal of the present invention.

The liver lipid levels of the three groups of hamsters were also measured after 3 weeks of being fed the cellulose, wheat bran or psyllium-bran flakes diet. The results are shown below in Table 15.

                  TABLE 15                                                         ______________________________________                                         Liver lipid levels (mg/g, mean +/- SD)                                                   DIET                                                                                               Psyllium-                                                  Cellulose                                                                               Wheat Bran Bran Flakes                                      ______________________________________                                         Free Cholesterol                                                                            1.9 +/- 0.2                                                                               1.7 +/- 0.3                                                                               1.6 +/- 0.3                                 Cholesteryl Esters                                                                         12.5 +/- 2.4                                                                              10.6 +/- 3.0                                                                               1.4 +/- 0.9                                 Triglycerides                                                                               3.3 +/- 1.1                                                                               2.2 +/- 0.7                                                                               4.4 +/- 3.0                                 Phospholipids                                                                              17.6 +/- 2.1                                                                              16.2 +/- 3.6                                                                              16.7 +/- 3.8                                 Total Lipids                                                                               45.8 +/- 6.1                                                                              39.6 +/- 9.0                                                                              27.8 +/- 6.4                                 ______________________________________                                    

The results shown in Table 15 demonstrate the significant reduction in liver lipid levels achieved through a diet of the psyllium-containing cereal of the present invention.

EXAMPLE 14

A second hamster study was conducted to determine the hypocholesterolemic efficacy of the psyllium-containing bran flakes produced in accordance with Example 11 above, in a dose response trial. At the same time, a rice flaked ready-to-eat cereal product, containing a therapeutic quantity of psyllium and prepared as in Example 12, above was tested with the psyllium-containing intermediate nugget product prepared in accordance with Example 6 above. The psyllium-containing bran flakes were provided in the diet at four different levels: 8.2%, 16.6%, 24.9% and 33.1%, all diets providing 10% TDF and between 1.3% and 5.3% TDF-NDF. The other two test prototypes were provided in the diet at about 33%, providing 10% TDF and 5.3% TDF-NDF.

Hence, six groups of Golden Syrian hamsters each were fed diets containing the different levels and kinds of psyllium-containing cereal products described. A control group of Golden Syrian hamsters was fed conventional unprocessed wheat bran instead of a psyllium-containing cereal product. The test material compositions are shown in Table 16, and the test diet compositions are shown in Table 17.

                  TABLE 16                                                         ______________________________________                                         Composition (%) of Test Materials                                                       WB.sup.1                                                                            BF-P.sup.2                                                                               SK-P.sup.3                                                                             P nuggets.sup.4                                ______________________________________                                         Water      9.54   2.65      3.2   2.3                                          Ash        6.1    3.8       3.03  3.56                                         Fat        5.33   1.40      0.2   0.6                                          Protein    16.99  10.95     6.3   9.0                                          NDF               14.25     3.0   6.8                                          TDF        39.4   30.2      16.6  22.6                                         TDF-NDF           15.9      13.6  15.8                                         Sugars            11.0      14.6  12.6                                         Starch.sup.5                                                                              20.6   40.0      56.07 49.34                                        Sodium, mg 0.04   604       809.86                                                                               820.4                                        ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 Wheat bran                                                              .sup.2 Psylliumcontaining bran flakes                                          .sup.3 Psylliumcontaining rice flakes                                          .sup.4 Psylliumcontaining additive of the present invention                    .sup.5 Calculated                                                        

                                      TABLE 17                                     __________________________________________________________________________                WB  BF-P                                                                               BF-P                                                                               BF-P                                                                               BF-P                                                                               SK-P                                                                               P-ns                                        __________________________________________________________________________     Test material                                                                  (% of diet)                                                                               0   33.1                                                                               24.85                                                                              16.55                                                                              8.20                                                                               38.68                                                                              33.29                                       Wheat bran 25.4                                                                               0   6.35                                                                               12.7                                                                               19.1                                                                               9.09                                                                               6.29                                        (% of diet)                                                                    TDF (% of  39.4                                                                               30.2            16.6                                                                               22.6                                        test material)                                                                 TDF-NDF (% of  15.9            13.6                                                                               15.8                                        test material)                                                                 TDF (% of diet)                                                                           10.0                                                                               10.0                                                                               10.0                                                                               10.0                                                                               10.0                                                                               10.0                                                                               10.0                                        TDF-NDF    0   5.27                                                                               3.95                                                                               2.64                                                                               1.32                                                                               5.26                                                                               5.26                                        (% of diet)                                                                    casein     17.62                                                                              18.38                                                                              18.20                                                                              18.01                                                                              17.81                                                                              18.00                                                                              17.90                                       (89.3%)                                                                        DL-meth    0.15                                                                               0.15                                                                               0.15                                                                               0.15                                                                               0.15                                                                               0.15                                                                               0.15                                        L-lysine   0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1                                         beef tallow                                                                               7   7   7   7   7   7   7                                           safflower oil                                                                             3.65                                                                               4.54                                                                               4.31                                                                               4.09                                                                               3.86                                                                               4.44                                                                               4.46                                        coconut oil                                                                               2   2   2   2   2   2   2                                           starch     26.85                                                                              18.84                                                                              20.84                                                                              22.84                                                                              24.84                                                                              8.52                                                                               14.35                                       sucrose    15  11.36                                                                              12.27                                                                              13.18                                                                              14.09                                                                              9.35                                                                               10.87                                       AIN vit mix                                                                               1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2                                         AIN mineral                                                                               4   4   4   4   4   4   4                                           (--NaCl) mix                                                                   NaCl       0.5 0   0.12                                                                               0.24                                                                               0.36                                                                               0.19                                                                               0.22                                        choline Cl 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5                                         cholesterol                                                                               0.125                                                                              0.125                                                                              0.125                                                                              0.125                                                                              0.125                                                                              0.125                                                                              0.125                                       Total      104.10                                                                             100.30                                                                             102.02                                                                             102.69                                                                             103.34                                                                             103.35                                                                             102.46                                      Additives (mg):                                                                Riboflavin 0.3 0   0.08                                                                               0.16                                                                               0.24                                                                               0.37                                                                               0.38                                        Niacin     0   2.15                                                                               1.61                                                                               1.07                                                                               0.53                                                                               4.36                                                                               5.11                                        Folic acid 0.1 0   0.03                                                                               0.05                                                                               0.07                                                                               0.1 0.1                                         FeCitrate  0   2.25                                                                               1.66                                                                               1.07                                                                               0   7.17                                                                               8.40                                        ZnCO3 (70% ZnO)*                                                                          3.0 0   0.68                                                                               1.39                                                                               2.07                                                                               4.93                                                                               5.30                                        K3CitrateH2O                                                                              0   522.4                                                                              389.0                                                                              260.0                                                                              130.0                                                                              549.0                                                                              642.0                                       K2SO4      0   123 92.0                                                                               61.0                                                                               31.0                                                                               129.0                                                                              152.0                                       Actual amount of elemental mineral added (in mg):                              Fe         0   0.42                                                                               0.31                                                                               0.20                                                                               0   1.34                                                                               1.57                                        Zn         1.57                                                                               0   0.39                                                                               0.79                                                                               1.18                                                                               2.81                                                                               3.02                                        K          0   244 183 122 61  258 302                                         __________________________________________________________________________      *ZnCO3 2ZnO 3H2O                                                         

Serum cholesterol levels of the seven groups of hamsters were measured after 3 weeks of being fed the diet prescribed in Table 17. The results are shown in Table 18.

                                      TABLE 18                                     __________________________________________________________________________     Serum cholesterol                                                              Levels:  WB  BF-P                                                                               BF-P                                                                               BF-P                                                                               BF-P SK-P                                                                               P-ns                                         __________________________________________________________________________     TC, mg/dl                                                                               226 124 145 164 202  120 145                                          HDLC, mg/dl                                                                             163  92 100 120 151   94 111                                          HDLC/TC, %                                                                               72  74  69  73  75   78  77                                          __________________________________________________________________________

As shown, this study demonstrates the significant cholesterol lowering effect of all three psyllium-containing samples compared to the wheat bran control, with the psyllium-containing bran flakes showing a significant dose-response effect.

While not intending to be bound by any scientific theory, it is believed that the active psyllium ingredient for the psyllium enriched breakfast cereal and psyllium intermediate products of present invention is the mucilaginous water soluble complex carbohydrate material. This soluble gum is concentrated in the psyllium seed husk. By processing the psyllium husk in accordance with the present invention, the therapeutic benefits possible from ingesting the psyllium gum can be achieved while at the same time masking the organoleptic drawbacks associated with prior attempts to incorporate psyllium in other type food products.

In addition to hypocholesterolemic effect of the psyllium-containing products of the present invention, it is believed that these products produce other therapeutic benefits when ingested by animals. More specifically, it is believed that the products of the present invention can be effective in lowering glycemic index and as a laxative more effective than psyllium alone.

Further, it is believed that other ingredients, such as fruit compositions, nuts, and the like, to add flavor and/or texture can be added to the ready-to-eat cereal of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, it is not intended that the present invention be limited to only the described embodiments. Modification of these embodiments will undoubtedly be recognized by those skilled in the art. Rather, the invention should be circumscribed by the scope of the appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. Psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal product having good mouthfeel, textural and flavor characteristics comprising, on a dry weight basis, about 25 to 90% of one or more cereal brans and about 6-19% psyllium.
 2. Cereal product of claim 1 containing about 11-14% by dry weight psyllium.
 3. Cereal product of claim 2 including one or more cereal ingredients selected from the group consisting of whole grains, grain components, flour, legumes, non-bran fiber sources and mixtures thereof.
 4. Cereal product of claim 3 including one or more cereal ingredients selected from the group consisting of whole wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn, rye, wheat germ, oat bran, wheat bran, wheat four, corn flour, soy beans, peas, beans, prune fiber, guar, beet fiber, citrus pulp and mixtures thereof.
 5. Psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal product having good mouthfeel, textural and flavor characteristics prepared by a process which comprises blending one or more cereal brans in an amount of about 25 to 90% based on the dry weight of said cereal product with psyllium in an amount of about 6-19% based on the dry weight of said cereal product and extruding the resulting blend into shaped cereal pieces.
 6. Cereal product of claim 5 containing about 11-14% by dry weight psyllium.
 7. Cereal product of claim 5 including one or more cereal ingredients selected from the group consisting of whole grains, grain components, flour, legumes, non-bran fiber sources and mixtures thereof.
 8. Cereal product of claim 7 including one or more cereal ingredients selected from the group consisting of whole wheat, rice, oats, barley, corn, rye, wheat germ, oat bran, wheat bran, wheat flour, corn flour, soy beans, peas, beans, prune fiber, guar, beet fiber, citrus pulp and mixtures thereof.
 9. Process for making a psyllium-containing ready-to-eat cereal product having good mouthfeel, textural and flavor characteristics which comprises admixing one or more cereal brans in an amount of about 25 to 90% based on the dry weight of said cereal product with psyllium in an amount of about 6-19% based on the dry weight of said cereal product and extruding the resulting mixture into shaped cereal pieces.
 10. Process of claim 9 wherein the cereal product contains about 6-19% by dry weight psyllium.
 11. Method for lowering blood cholesterol in humans and animals which comprises administering thereto over an extended period of time, the ready-to-eat cereal product of claim
 1. 12. Method for lowering blood cholesterol in humans and animals which comprises administering thereto over an extended period of time, the ready-to-eat cereal product of claim
 5. 